Heart of Crystal
by AriEmeraldstar
Summary: It all began with a simple errand. The wild pokémon of Johto are becoming more violent, and as Kris begins her journey to the Pokémon League, she finds herself caught up in a world of friendship, love, and loss, with a sinister criminal organization in every shadow and where strength and hope can be found in the the darkest depths of despair. A fictionalized nuzlocke challenge.
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome, one and all, to Heart of Crystal, a fictionalized version of a nuzlocke challenge of Pokemon: Crystal I am currently doing. If you are unfamiliar with the rules of the nuzlocke challenge, they are quite simple.  
1. You may only catch the first pokemon you encounter in a route or area.  
2. If a pokemon faints, it is considered dead and must be released or permanently boxed.  
3. All pokemon must be nicknamed.  
Even if you are unfamiliar with the nuzlocke challenge, I still hope that you enjoy this story, and I appreciate the time you took to read it. With that, welcome once again to Heart of Crystal._

* * *

Two towers stood: one golden as the sun, the other silver as the moon, or so the legend went. But only the silver tower still stood. The golden tower gleamed too brightly, and its brilliance was finally melted away until only ruins were left. Or so the legend went.

But something was stirring. Eddies formed in sea and wind, unnoticed and soon forgotten. Something was happening, and the restless earth seemed to sense it.

Archer cared not for legends and stories. At the moment, he cared only for three things. The first was the glass of wine in his hand. The second were the three others sitting at the table, waiting for him to speak. The third…he gave a tiny smile and set his glass down on the table. The third was what he had called his former cohorts here for. The third would bring him everything he deserved, and restore everything he had lost.

"What's this all about, Archer?" Proton grumbled, sounding slightly irritated as he ran his thumb over the blade of an elegantly crafted knife Archer had imported especially for him. He had used it as incentive for Proton to actually show up this time, and he was pleased to see that it had worked. A Seviper's tail blade was a rare and expensive prize, and Archer preferred to waste as little money as possible. "None of us have heard from you in over three years."

"Patience, my friend." Archer said, raising a hand. "Did I not promise I would explain everything to you once you were all here?"

"Well, by my count, no one's missin'." Petrel interjected. "So what's the deal?"

Archer folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Gentlemen, lady," he said, giving a polite nod to Ariana, "I have a proposal for you."

##########

"Kris! Get out of bed this instant! It's one thirty in the afternoon!"

Kris groaned and rolled over in her bed, pulling her blankets closer around her. The harsh winter light streamed in as her mom threw the curtains open. She continued to pace about the room, picking up clothes as she went and scolding Kris for never doing anything but sleeping as Kris slowly oozed out from under the blankets and rubbed her eyes until they stayed open.

"You'd better get ready quickly. Mrs. Lowe is coming over in a few minutes, and Professor Elm called for you about an hour ago."

"Huh?" Kris muttered sleepily, blinking in the light. "What does Professor Elm want with me?"

"He didn't say, and if you'd been awake at a reasonable hour, you'd know for yourself." her mother snapped, tossing a pile of clothes at her. "Now, get dressed, and if I don't see you downstairs in five minutes –"

"I'll be down, mom." Kris answered, giving a jaw-cracking yawn and stretching her arms over her head. "Promise."The doorbell rang, and Kris' mom ran downstairs to answer it. Kris gave another yawn, then pulled the clothes over and began to get dressed. She could hear her mother happily greeting Mrs. Lowe downstairs and rolled her eyes slightly. Maybe she did have a bad habit of sleeping in, but so what? It's not like there was anything better to do in New Bark Town. Kris had planned on going to Cherrygrove that day to do some shopping, but apparently that was going to have to wait. What could someone like Professor Elm want with her?

She sighed, rubbing her temples slowly in an effort to get rid of her throbbing headache. She knew it would be in vain – she'd had it for the past couple months – but today it seemed especially sore. Kris shook her head, trying to get her mind off of it, and went into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. A few minutes later, she made her way downstairs, hopping down two at a time. Bits of the conversation between her mother and Mrs. Lowe began to drift into focus.

"…absolutely terrible. Who knew Sentrets could be so violent?"

"Such a shame. I'm glad he managed to get away!"

"Me too. But he told me that this isn't the first time this has happened. Apparently, pokémon all over Johto are becoming more – oh, good afternoon, Kris!"

Kris smiled politely, pausing for only the briefest of moments. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Lowe." she said before disappearing into the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled as she rummaged through the refrigerator and gathered the necessary ingredients for a sandwich.

"Oh, Kris!" her mom called. "Your pokegear came back from the shop today! Do you need me to read the instructions to you?"

"Thanks, mom, I'm good!" Kris called back as she put the food back into the refrigerator.

Her mother, interpreting Kris' response as affirmation, continued to read anyway. Kris gave a tiny sigh, ignoring her and knowing that her mother couldn't see her in the kitchen. It didn't take long for her to finish, and Kris walked back out into the living room, holding her sandwich in one hand and chewing the first bite. "Did you get all that, hon?"

Kris swallowed and smiled. "Yep. I'm going to head over to the professor's when I'm done, okay?"

"All right, dear. And be careful if he sends you out, all right? Mrs. Lowe was just telling me that her son Ethan was attacked by a wild Sentret the other day. His Marill is in Cherrygrove Pokémon Center's urgent care, but we don't know if he'll make it."

Kris winced, her appetite suddenly gone. She'd heard stories about pokémon becoming more violent recently, but she'd never quite believed it. "I'll be careful, mom. I promise." she said, nodding and setting her sandwich down on the table. She'd finish it when she got back.

Her mother nodded as well. "All right. If you're going to be back after dark, call me, okay?"

"Will do. Bye mom!"

Kris shivered as she stepped outside. It was always windy in New Bark Town, and most houses had windmills on their roofs to capitalize on it, but the wind today was especially strong, and it bit into Kris' skin even through her coat. So much for winter nearly being over. She bent her head down against the cold hurried and in the direction of Elm's pokémon lab near the entrance to town.

A sharp gust of wind blew her cap off her head, and Kris chased after it with a cry. It blew around the corner of Elm's lab and she rushed to grab it.

"Hey, watch it."

Kris fell backwards with a small grunt, clutching her hat in one hand and rubbing her head with her other. She looked up and saw something she rarely saw in New Bark Town – someone she'd never seen before. Behind him, a small crate sat under one of the windows. Was he spying on the lab? "Sorry." she muttered as she got to her feet. "Who're you?"

"None of your business."

"No need to bite my head off." Kris grumbled. "Its not often there's a new face in town, that's all."

"Well, I don't like people staring at my face." he said angrily. "So go away."

Kris scowled. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"

"I said go away!" the boy snapped, stepping forward and shoving Kris back.

Kris stumbled back out onto the main street. Outraged, she glared at the boy and placed her hat defiantly back onto her head. Without a word, she turned up her nose and marched inside the lab.

Inside, the professor's assistant was scrambling around, climbing up and down ladders to put books back on shelves or take them off according to what Professor Elm called out. The professor himself was sitting at his computer at the back of the lab, occasionally calling out the name of a file or book he wanted his assistant to get for him. When the door opened, he looked up and clumsily shoved his glasses back to their proper place on his nose. "Kris? Is that you?"

Kris pushed the door shut and turned back around. "Yes, professor, it's me!"

Professor Elm smiled and stood up. "Mr. Lowe, could you fetch that thing we were talking about?" His assistant set down his tower of books and rushed into the back room, and Professor Elm turned to Kris. "I'm glad that you could come over on such short notice, Kris. I have a favor to ask of you. You see, I just got an email from my friend, Mr. Pokémon. He says he's made a serious discovery, and I think he really means it this time. The problem is that, well…" he trailed off, waving a hand around at the chaos that the walls of the lab barely seemed able to contain. "As you can see, with just the two of us here, it's rather busy. I'd like you to pop over to Mr. Pokémon's house and see what all the fuss is about."

Kris glanced back outside, then pulled her jacket a little tighter around her. "But Professor, what about the wild pokémon?"

"Well, of course I wouldn't send you out there by yourself." Professor Elm said, leading Kris over to a table with three pokéballs on it. "Not with the wild pokémon becoming so violent. Here are three pokémon you may pick from to accompany you on your journey. You'll be their first partner, but I assure you, any of them will be fine protection."

Kris looked curiously at the balls, each with a little picture on the table in front of them showing what the ball contained. "A pokémon? For me?"

"That's right," Professor Elm answered, smiling. "for you. I know you're responsible enough to care for it, and…well, to be honest, I just have a good feeling about it."

Kris looked over the pictures thoughtfully. A good feeling, huh? Well, she supposed worse decisions had been made on less. She ran her fingers gently over the pokéballs, wondering which one she should choose. The grass type was cute, but with winter not yet over, Kris worried about keeping it healthy. She didn't much like the look of the water type, either. That just left one more choice.

"Ahh, Cyndaquil! Excellent choice!" Professor Elm exclaimed. "Would you like to release him from his ball and say hello?"

Kris was already in the process of doing just that. As her new Cyndaquil emerged from his ball, Kris knelt down and offered her hand to him. "Hey there little guy…I'm your new trainer. My name's Kris."

The Cyndaquil looked up at her for a moment, then smiled and nuzzled into her hand. Professor Elm also smiled and Mr. Lowe came up to them. "Here, Kris – a Potion for your trip." he said, offering the small purple bottle to her. "In case things get a little hairy."

"Oh! That reminds me." Professor Elm said, digging through his pockets. "Here, let me give you my phone number. If anything happens, call me, all right?"

"All right, Professor." Kris said, handing him her pokégear. As the professor entered in his number, she turned back to her new Cyndaquil and gently patted his head. "Now, what should I name you? Hm…what about Teddy? Do you like that name?" The Cyndaquil grinned happily and nodded, and Kris pulled him into her arms. As he snuggled into her chest, Kris could feel the warmth radiating from his tiny body and couldn't help but grin. She finally had a pokémon of her very own! "Teddy it is, then."

"Here's your pokégear back, Kris." Professor Elm told her, handing it back. "Now, be careful, all right? If anything happens, you can come back here and heal up Teddy on this machine."

"I'll be careful, Professor." Kris promised, heading towards the door. "And I'll be back soon, don't worry!"

As she left the lab, she shivered again and held Teddy closer to her. "Burr…it's getting really cold. You okay to stay out of your ball, Teddy?"

"I'm fine."

Kris nearly dropped the tiny pokémon out of sheer shock. "Did…you just talk?"

"I've always been able to talk. You're just the only human who's ever talked back." Teddy said frankly, tilting his head at her.

"Wait, so does this mean you actually have a name? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I like the name you gave me better."

"Well, I mean…how come I've never heard any pokémon talk before? Can you all talk? Do you just not talk around people? Is there some great advanced society of pokémon that you keep secret from us? How come no one has ever been able to understand any pokémon speech and now – "

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but shouldn't we get going?" Teddy interjected. "It sounded like we were going a long way away."

"Well, not terribly far." Kris said, attempting to calm down. Her brain was having a difficult time wrapping itself around what was going on, but she didn't want to sound like an idiot and make a bad impression on Teddy. "But it will take us a while. Do you want to ignite your flame?"

"No, I'm fine. I like it better up here." Teddy answered, snuggling deeper into Kris' coat. "Really, I have no idea why you can understand me and other humans can't. Maybe you're just special."

"I doubt it." Kris sighed, rubbing her forehead again. She'd never been able to understand any pokémon before, and it didn't look like she would get any answers as to why she could now. Either way, it was probably best for her to keep it a secret for now. Professor Elm was nice and all, but who knows what kind of experiments she'd have to go through once he got word out to the scientific community? She smiled back at Teddy, relieved at the warmth the small pokémon was giving out, and decided not to worry about it any further. It was kind of cool, being able to understand her pokémon like this.

"Well, you can understand me. That makes you special to me."

Kris' frown faded into a gentle smile. "Thanks, Teddy. And for the record, I think you're pretty special too."


	2. Chapter 2

Cherrygrove City was a little less than an hour's walk from New Bark Town, but Kris had never minded the distance. It gave her an excuse to get outside and exercise, and there was always something more interesting to do Cherrygrove City than there was in New Bark Town. Though the day was still chilly and Teddy had settled in for a nap, the warmth radiating from his small body kept her comfortable as she strolled along the road.

The walk was uneventful; though she'd had to skirt through some tall grass a few times, she'd thankfully avoided any encounters with wild pokémon. Teddy's nose twitched as they entered the small city, and he awoke with a small cry of excitement. "It's so big! Where are we?"

"We're in Cherrygrove City." Kris answered. "But we won't be staying here for very long. Professor Elm said that the friend he wants me to go see lives on Route 30."

"Oh…"

Kris made her way through the streets of the city, her pace slowing as she passed the Pokémon Center. Her thoughts turned to Mrs. Lowe's son Ethan, and a small shiver raced up her spine as she remembered his Marill.

"Are you all right?"

Kris shook her head, dismissing the thoughts from her head as she approached Route 30. "I'm fine." she said, glancing at the branching paths ahead of her. "Um…"

"Don't you know which way to go?"

Kris bit her lip, picking her way through a small patch of grass. "I've never been this way before…"

Suddenly, a flock of Pidgey erupted from the grass immediately in front of her, causing Kris to jump and cry out with shock. They flew off as quickly as they'd appeared, and Kris let out a long, slow breath. In her arms, Teddy was trembling like a leaf, and she petted his head softly to soothe him.

He quickly calmed down, but still seemed shaken. "Let's go that way." he said, pointing towards the left path. Kris didn't argue; it looked like that way was more well-traveled, and it seemed more sensible that an associate of Professor Elm's would live in an easily accessible area. She quickly set on her way down Teddy's chosen path. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Teddy let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry…" he said meekly. "I…I got scared."

Kris paused, confused. "Why should you be sorry? They startled me too."

"No, I mean…I was scared you were going to make me battle."

Kris took in a slow breath as the realization of what Teddy was actually confessing washed over her. "You're scared to battle?" Teddy lowered his head shamefully, and Kris gently cuddled him closer.

"Well, not exactly scared, but…you're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because you're a trainer, and I'm your pokémon."

Kris smiled down at him. "Yeah, but I can understand you, remember? If you don't want to tell me why you don't like battling, you don't have to, but I'll always be here to listen to you. I promise."

Teddy gave a tiny smile in return, his face shining with gratitude. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." Kris said as she began walking again. "After all, we are partners." The route ahead of her widened a bit, and Kris could see a few trainers up ahead. She could feel Teddy tense up in her arms, but she Kris carefully managed to sneak around them for about twenty minutes, until she happened to glance over toward the lower path.

"What is it?" Teddy asked when he heard Kris give a small groan.

"We went the wrong way." Kris answered glumly as she stared down the steep hillside at a small house.

Teddy grumbled, but said nothing as Kris turned around and retraced her steps. The sun was starting to sink in the sky as Kris finally approached the house she'd seen earlier, and Teddy was fidgeting with impatience.

"Sorry, Teddy – I'll try and make this quick." Kris apologized as she rang the bell. A tall elderly man opened the door and started at her for a moment, then smiled and opened it wider.

"Ah, you must be Kris! Professor Elm emailed me about you. Come in, come in!"

Kris gladly took the man up on his offer, hurrying into his home with Teddy hot on her heels. She rubbed her arms, trying to get some feeling back in her fingers as she looked around. It was a tiny home, and another old man was sitting nearby, looking over some notes. She smiled at him when he looked at her, but she was interrupted by the first man, who she could only assume was Mr. Pokémon himself. "This is what I wanted to show to Professor Elm – I think it's a pokémon egg!" he exclaimed, thrusting the egg into Kris' arms. "Please, have him take a look at it!"

Kris looked at the thing in her arms, completely puzzled. She'd never seen an egg this big, nor one with such strange patterns on it. Small red and blue triangles were all over the shell, and the egg itself was warm to the touch. Somehow it just felt alive, even though Kris knew the statement was redundant.

"Young lady…Kris, was it?"

Kris turned, seeing the other man had made friends with Teddy. "Yes?"

"This is your Cyndaquil, correct?"

"Yup! His name's Teddy. I just got him this afternoon from Professor Elm."

"Just this afternoon?" the man repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's rather surprising; he seems to be very close to you already."

Kris blushed and put a hand behind her head. "Oh, thank you, Mr…"

"Oh my, how rude of me." the man said, walked up to her and extending his hand. "My name is Oak. I'm a professor from Kanto."

Kris shook his hand firmly. "I've heard of you…you're the one who developed the Pokédex!"

"Yes, that is correct." Professor Oak said, nodding. "Actually, I would like to speak to you about that."

"What? Why?"

"Y'see young lady," Mr. Pokémon cut in, "Professor Oak is a great judge of character when it comes to potential trainers. Every kid he's handpicked to give a pokédex to has gone on to do great things."

"I'm not some sort of clairvoyant, Mr. Pokémon." Oak protested. "I just recognize when trainers care about and have bonded with their pokémon. And I can tell, Kris," he continued, turning to her, "that your Cyndaquil is already very close to you. And for having only received him this afternoon, that's quite impressive."

Kris put a hand behind her head and blushed. "I haven't done anything special." she protested.

"Regardless, I think that you have a lot of potential as a trainer, Kris." Oak said, holding out a small red device. "I would like to give you a Pokédex."

Kris hesitantly took the small device. She'd heard tales of the device and its owners, but until now had never really believed them. After all, a handheld computer couldn't possibly have the capacity to give two boys from Professor Oak's hometown the things it took to become Champions; there had to have been something more to them, and Kris was certain that, whatever it was, she lacked it. And yet, here she was, staring down at the thing itself. It shook slightly in her hands as she stared at it in awe, and she glanced back up at Professor Oak. "A P-Pokédex?" she stammered. "For me?"

Professor Oak nodded. "Yes, Kris. For you." He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it will be useful to you. Now, if you both will excuse me, I must go to Goldenrod City. They've put me on a radio show, and it's not much good if I'm not there for it."

"Right, then." Mr. Pokémon said, getting up. "I'll show you out. Kris, thank you very much for stopping by."

Kris nodded, carefully placing the egg in her bag and making sure it was padded. "I'm sure that Professor Elm will be really interested in this." she said, smiling. "I'll get it back to him now. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, my dear. And don't hesitate to stop by any time you like!" Mr. Pokémon offered. "A friend of Professor Elm's is a friend of mine!"

Kris smiled again. "Thank you very much." she said. "And thank you too, Professor Oak."

"It was my pleasure." Oak assured her. "Now, I really must dash." With that, he pulled a pokéball out of his coat. He released an Abra from it, then took its hand. "Teleport, please, Abra," he said, "to Goldenrod City." And just like that, they were gone.

Kris looked down at Teddy. "Well, we'd better get back too." Teddy nodded, but they hadn't taken a single step before Kris' phone began to ring. "It's Professor Elm. I hope I didn't take too long getting here." She quickly flipped the phone open and held it to her ear. "Sorry I took so long, Professor, but –"

"There's no time for buts!" the professor nearly shouted. He sounded positively frantic. "You must come back to the lab immediately! A pokémon has been stolen!"

"What?" Kris yelped. "Stolen?"

"Yes! There's no time to explain any further – please, just get back here as soon as you possibly can!"

"Yes sir!" Kris hung up and scooped Teddy up in her arms. "Sorry, Teddy, but we have to hurry! A pokémon has been stolen from the lab!"

Teddy looked worried, but he nodded. "I understand – let's go!"

Kris ran back toward Cherrygrove as fast as her legs could carry her, and she reached the city within half an hour. She sprinted through the streets, not stopping for anyone until she neared the entrance to Route 29. She skidded to a stop, seeing a familiar mop of red hair coming towards the city. "You don't think, Teddy…"

"Maybe." Teddy whispered. "Didn't you say you saw him sneaking around outside the lab when I asked you about where we were going?"

"Yeah. There's only one way to find out." Kris said. Steeling herself, she walked briskly towards the route, her head held high. She could feel Teddy shaking slightly in her arms, and she held him a little tighter. They mustn't be afraid. This was, after all, a public thoroughfare.

Kris didn't get to say anything before the red haired boy stopped in front of her. He glared at Teddy, and Kris could feel him begin to shake harder. "You got a pokémon from the lab?" he spat.

"What of it?" Kris demanded. "I've got just as much a right to have a pokémon as anyone."

"I just can't believe a weakling like you managed to get a pokémon." he sneered. "Look at it – it's trembling so hard it can't even walk."

"His name is Teddy, and he happens to be shivering because he's cold." Kris shot back.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "A fire type? Cold?"

"I don't have time to deal with you." Kris snapped. "Let us pass. The professor asked me to come back to the lab."

"No doubt to help solve the case of the stolen pokémon."

Kris froze, and she could feel Teddy tense up as well. "How do you know about that?"

"The whole town is abuzz about it." the boy said, casually taking out a pokéball and bouncing it lightly in his hand. "All ten of them. They can't believe something like this could happen."

Kris eyed the small red and white ball in the boy's hand suspiciously. "Where did you get that?" she demanded.

The boy caught the ball and gripped it tightly. "I'll tell you what." he said, his voice suddenly serious. "If you can beat me in a battle, I'll tell you my name."

"I didn't ask for your name, I asked where you got the pokéball." Kris spat.

"Send out your pokémon. Or is he too scared to fight?"

"K-Kris," Teddy whispered, "I know that pokéball. That's Toto's – this boy stole Toto!"

Kris grimaced, but set Teddy down on the ground. "Sorry, Ted – looks like you're going to have to battle."

The boy sneered. "Apologizing to your pokémon for making it battle? You are weak. I'll show you real power! Go, Totodile!"

"Teddy! We haven't got much choice – you have to battle!"

Teddy held his ground as the boy's Totodile emerged. Kris thought that it was a mean-looking thing, growling as it came out of its pokéball. She'd heard most Totodile were playful and fun-loving. This one was obviously an exception.

The Totodile snarled again. "Oh, this will be good. I get to battle you and that stupid killjoy of a professor isn't here to hold me back."

Teddy's whole body was trembling so badly that Kris was ready to call off the match. His flames ignited, but they were weak and sputtering. "I don't want to fight you, Toto."

"You never did! You knew I'd always win!" the Totodile shouted, lunging at Teddy claws first. "And this time, you can't run away!"

"Teddy, use Smokescreen!"

Teddy quickly spat out a cloud of black smoke. Totodile landed and scratched fiercely, but Teddy had used the smoke as cover to get out of the way. He appeared out of another part of the smoke, tackling Totodile and catching it off guard.

"Scratch again. And don't miss this time." the boy ordered.

Kris shuddered when she looked at his face. He was so serious, so focused on the match, that his face barely looked human anymore. It was like he was a demon, concerned only with raw power.

Teddy cried out as the Totodile's claws raked across him, and he used another Tackle to push him off. It had landed a good blow, and Teddy seemed to be out of breath. "Kris!" he called out. "I c-can't beat him!"

"You can do it, Teddy!" Kris called. "Use Smokescreen again!"

"Oh no you don't," Totodile growled, "you're not getting away this time!"

Teddy blew out another cloud of smoke, but Totodile got in another Scratch before Teddy could disappear. Teddy shoved back with another Tackle and escaped into the smoke.

"Where are you?" Totodile muttered, trying to see.

"Come on, you weakling." the boy snapped. "It's in there somewhere, just Scratch it!"

Kris' hands balled into fists at her side. "We'll show you who's really weak! Tackle again, Teddy!"

"Behind you, Totodile!"

Totodile whirled around, claws out, but Teddy ducked under them and delivered one final Tackle attack. Totodile reeled backward, thrown off balance, and finally fell down on its back. As the smoke cleared, Teddy was badly scratched up, but standing victorious over the Totodile. Kris was already over in front of the boy, grabbing him by his jacket.

"All right, out with it." Kris demanded. "Who are you? Where did you get that Totodile?"

"Get off of me." the boy growled, shoving her away. "I earned that Totodile, it's mine. Why would I steal a pokémon so weak it would lose to an even weaker pokémon like yours?" he reasoned, calling back the Totodile.

"How can you call Teddy weak after we beat you?" Kris asked, scooping up Teddy in her arms. "And you still haven't told us your name. Those were your terms!"

The boy grimaced. "Right. My name was the only condition, and not a scrap else." He crossed his arms. "Silver."

"Silver? What kind of name is –"

"I'll be leaving now." the boy – Silver – interrupted. He pushed past Kris and began to continue on his way.

Kris watched him go, seething. "Oooh, that guy makes me so mad!"

"K-Kris?"

Kris looked down and her mind immediately turned away from Silver. "Oh, Teddy, I'm sorry! Let's get you to the Pokémon Center. Then we'll head back to Professor Elm's lab as quick as we can."

Teddy nodded, then rest his head against her chest. He still seemed worried, but Kris was glad he was finally able to relax. The Pokémon Center was nearby, and thankfully, Teddy's injuries were minor. When he was all patched up, he allowed Kris to scoop him up in her arms again and race back to New Bark Town.

"Professor Elm!" she called out as she through the entrance to town. The professor was standing outside his lab, wringing his hands as he spoke with a policeman. The professor's face brightened when he saw Kris, but the policeman's brow furrowed.

"Who are you? The culprit come back?"

"It's all right, officer!" Professor Elm quickly assured him. "This is Kris! The girl I told you about!"

The officer's face immediately softened, and he tipped his hat at Kris. "My mistake, miss. The suspect is a trainer about your age, you see."

"A trainer – does he have long red hair?"

"Why, yes." Professor Elm said, blinking in surprise. "But, how did you – "

"I battled him in Cherrygrove! He said his name was Silver, but he took off."

"Silver, eh?" the policeman said, rubbing his chin. "No last name?"

"Not that he gave me."

"Well, it's more than we had to go on before." the policeman sighed. "Thank you for your information. I'll head back to the department and see what we can find. Can't be too many kids around with a name like Silver." With another tip of his hat, he walked away, leaving Kris standing with the professor outside his lab.

Professor Elm sighed and groaned. "What a day." he muttered, collapsing into a lawn chair. He quickly brushed himself off and stood back up, stretching his arms. "So, Kris, what did Mr. Pokémon have for me?"

"Oh! Um, this." Kris said, setting Teddy down gently and rummaging through her bag. The egg had been cushioned quite well, but Kris still handled it as delicately as she could, and the professor did the same as he began to examine it.

"Hm…looks to be a regular pokémon egg to me." he finally said. "But I'll get back to Mr. Pokémon myse – Kris, what's that?" he suddenly asked, pointing at the corner of a small red device that poked out of Kris' bag.

"You mean this?" Kris asked, sliding her pokédex out. "It's a pokédex. Professor Oak was at Mr. Pokémon's house, and he gave it to me."

Professor Elm nearly dropped the egg in shock. "Professor Oak gave that to you? Kris, that's amazing! Professor Oak is a flawless judge of character when it comes to potential trainers – he must see a lot in you!"

Kris scuffed the ground with her foot. "Yeah, that's what Mr. Pokémon said."

"Kris, I think you should take the Gym challenge."

Kris blinked. Even Teddy looked up at the professor incredulously. "What?"

Professor Elm nodded. "I think you may just have what it takes. You'll need pokéballs, of course – but that can wait until morning. It's getting dark. Why don't you come back to my lab tomorrow and you can begin your journey?"

Kris looked down at Teddy, who looked back up at her. She couldn't gauge Teddy's reaction, but Professor Elm was right about one thing: it was getting dark out. "Come on, Teddy. Let's go home." Kris said. "Thank you, professor. We'll consider it."

"All right. Good night, Kris."

"Goodnight, Professor." Kris said, heading back towards her house. Teddy followed closely at her heels.

"Gym challenge? That sounds dangerous."

"It could be." Kris admitted. "But you know…we're never going to accomplish anything in this town. That kid – Silver – may be a jerk, but he was right about one thing."

"What's that?"

"This is a really small town." Kris walked past her house and on to the small beach that formed the town's eastern border. She stood on the sand with her hands behind her back and stared out over the water. "I've always wanted to get out – to see the world, go to new places, meet new people. I know there's more to the world than this."

Teddy came up beside her and also looked out over the water. He was silent for a while, but when he spoke, his voice was serious. "If it's what you want, then I'll go too."

Kris looked down at Teddy and smiled gently. "Thanks, Teddy." she said, turning back. "Come on, let's get inside. I'm sure Mom can't wait to meet you."


	3. Chapter 3

Kris stood outside Elm's pokémon lab with the professor and his aide. It was a little warmer today, but not much. Teddy stood next to her, slightly behind her leg. Professor Elm smiled at her. "So, Kris," he said, "have you made your decision about taking the gym challenge?"

Kris looked down at Teddy once more, and he nodded slightly. Kris nodded back, then looked back at Professor Elm. "Yes, Professor." she said. "Teddy and I are going to take the gym challenge."

Professor Elm nodded, and his aide stepped forward. "Then you'll need these pokéballs." he said. "They'll help you catch pokémon on your journey. And a potion," he continued as his aide produced a small purple and white bottle, "will help you get to the next city. You can buy more supplies there."

"I have to warn you, Kris," he continued as she solemnly accepted the pokéballs and potion, "traveling these days is pretty dangerous. I don't know what's gotten into the wild pokémon for a while now, but they've been getting exceedingly violent. If you are attacked, the only way to stop the pokémon will be to catch it."

"So I should buy lots of pokéballs and catch every pokémon I see?" Kris asked. The professor shook his head.

"Not quite. You see, pokémon have very keen senses. If they see or smell that you have caught a pokémon in the local area, they seem to become enraged. They will fight so hard that they will not be caught in a pokéball. They seem to think that humans are stealing their friends and family from them, and try to get them back. In these situations, it is safest to run away or make them faint." Professor Elm looked Kris in the eye and said slowly "They won't hesitate to seriously injure Teddy, or any other pokémon you may catch. He may even get killed."

Kris felt Teddy's grip on her leg tighten slightly, and Kris looked down at him again. He looked back up at her, then nodded again, and Kris looked back at Professor Elm. "We'll be careful." she said. "Promise."

"Then good luck, Kris." Professor Elm said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Incidentally, there have been rumors of pokémon that are…oddly-colored. They're quite rare, by all accounts, but should you happen to find one…"

"I'll do my best to catch it." Kris said, nodding her head.

The professor gave another nod and straightened up. "Then good luck, Kris. Make sure to call your mother and me every now and again to let us know how you're doing, okay?"

Kris smiled. "I will." she promised. "Mom loved Teddy – it'd break her heart if anything happened to him."

Professor Elm gave another smile, this one much friendlier than his earlier ones. "Then take care of him, and yourself too. Now – off you go, to Violet City and your first badge!"

"You bet!" Kris said, heading toward Route 29 and waving over her shoulder. "Bye, Professor!"

The professor and his aide waved at her as she left. "Goodbye, Kris!"

Kris stepped out onto Route 29, Teddy close behind her. She stretched her arms above her head, then let out a satisfied sigh. "This is it, Teddy! We're on our way to becoming Champion of the Pokémon Lea-"

"Look out, Kris!"

"Huh?" Kris turned her head and suddenly, something big and pink collided gently with her face. "Gyah! Get it off!" She flailed backward, trying to push the mysterious thing off of her face.

"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry!"

Teddy dove at the thing to tackle it, but a light gust of wind blew it away from Kris' face. "I-I'm not gonna let you attack Kris!"

"Attack her? Goodness no!" the pink thing said, sounding worried. "I was just floating on the breeze, like any other Hoppip."

Kris scooped Teddy up in her arms and pat his head. "It's all right, Teddy," she cooed, "I was just startled. I'm not hurt."

Teddy gripped Kris' arm and nuzzled it softly. "But…but it's my job to make sure you don't get hurt."

"And you did a fine job protecting me." Kris said, smiling. She turned to the Hoppip and looked at it. "Sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh my, that's fine, that's fine." Hoppip answered. "I can't do much more than drift on the breeze, so things like this happen sometimes."

Kris nodded, then set Teddy back down on the ground. "That sounds troublesome."

"Oh goodness, I'm not one to complain…"

"You don't have to." Kris said. "Why don't you come with us? That way, you're not always drifting around bumping into things."

"Come with us?" Teddy repeated, looking up at Kris. "But, Kris…"

"Oh goodness! Do you really mean it? Oh, I would love to!" the Hoppip exclaimed, swirling around Kris. "Oh goodness, it's all so exciting!"

"Then it's settled." Kris said, pulling out a pokéball. "Welcome to the team, Cotton."

"Cotton! I like that name!"

Teddy hesitantly tugged on Kris' sock. "But, Kris, why do we need more team members?" he asked sadly. "I can be strong! I can protect you!"

Kris looked down at Teddy, then hurriedly tapped a pokéball on Cotton and let it catch her. She kneeled down beside Teddy and pet his head. "Teddy, I promise, you will never be replaced." she assured him. "But the more team members we have, the safer we all are on this journey."

"But…"

"Teddy," Kris said, smiling gently, "it's not that I don't trust you. I do. I believe that you're strong. But as a team, we'll all get even stronger, and we'll be safer that way too."

Teddy nuzzled into her hand sadly. "Okay…"

Kris gently tilted Teddy's head up to look at her. "You'll always be my partner." she assured him. "I know you'll come through for me when it counts."

Teddy seemed to brighten at that, and he nodded at her. "I will."

"I know you will, Teddy." Kris said, standing up. "Now, Cotton seems a little weak. Would you like to help me train her as we go to Violet City?"

"You bet!"

##########

"Archer, we seem to have run into a small issue."

Archer set his glass of wine down. "Were it anyone but you saying that, dear Ariana," he said, smoothly turning around in his large chair, "I would not be so inclined to listen to them."

"I suppose that's why I'm telling you." Ariana answered without missing a beat. "We seem to be in need of some additional funds for our project. We've established ourselves in Mahogany Town, but if we want to use Goldenrod City –"

"Ah…I see your point." Archer said, lacing his hands together. He closed his eyes and pressed his head against them, deep in thought. Ariana knew better than to interrupt him, and after a moment, Archer opened his eyes. "Proton has been getting bored recently, has he not?"

"When you consider his idea of fun, that's probably a good thing."

Archer smirked. Ariana was the only one who would dare take such a tone with him, and her previous position warranted it. After all, Archer thought, before Giovanni had foolishly thrown away everything he'd had because of one child, Ariana had formally been his equal in rank. In practice, she had been second only to Giovanni himself. "I seem to recall a place called Azalea Town, located between Union Cave and the Ilex Forest, having a particularly high population of Slowpoke. Is this correct?"

"So what's your point?"

"My point, my dear," Archer said, leaning forward slightly, "is that I think it's time for Proton to pay Azalea Town a little visit."

##########

"That Joey kid sure was full of himself."

"You said it, Teddy." Kris said, stretching her arms above her head. The pokéballs on her belt became slightly exposed, and she looked down at them. Five were now filled: one was Teddy's, one belonged to Cotton, and the other three were pokémon she'd found on the way to Violet City. A Pidgey on Route 30 and 31, and a Geodude from when she'd curiously ventured into Dark Cave. She hadn't stayed in there for very long.

"Helloooo! Pokéballs at your belt I see, mini lass! A trainer is you?"

Kris froze in place as a large, fat man in a tutu twirled towards her. His face was dominated by a rather impressive moustache, and Kris couldn't stop staring at him. "Are you scared too, Teddy?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Hoohoo!" the man exclaimed as he finally came to a stop in front of her. "What you want to know? Want to be a winner, is you?"

"Er…"

"You is trainer lucky! Earl teaches you is good! Academy is his, over there! Come, follow Earl!" The man gave another excited hoot, then twirled off towards what Kris could only assume to be his academy.

"The big city sure has some weird people…"

"What's that place?" Teddy asked, pointing his nose to the north.

Kris looked where he was pointing. Behind the skyline, a large pagoda tower rose above the buildings in front of it. "I don't know." she said, looking at the map on her pokegear. "But according to this, it's a place called Sprout Tower. Hm…sounds like a good place to train up a bit. I think Walter is a little behind you guys."

Teddy nodded. "It looks like a pretty place." he agreed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kris asked, grinning. "Let's get going."

Slowly, but surely, Kris navigated her way towards the tower. She and Teddy were both looking around excitedly as they went – neither of them had ever been around this many people before. Violet City, she'd been told by a man in Cherrygrove, was the second-biggest city in Johto. If this was only the second biggest, Kris couldn't even begin to imagine what the biggest would be like.

"Look at the bridges!"

A series of thin, elegant bridges arched over shallow reflecting ponds, connecting small islands covered in cherry trees. On the largest of these islands, in the very rear, stood the tower they had seen from the city. They both stared up at it in awe, and Kris gripped the rail of a bridge excitedly. "Let's go inside!"

Teddy bounded over the bridges ahead of her, and paused to let Kris open the doors. Kris scooped him up again and placed him on her shoulder before they went in. a few other visitors were milling about on the bottom floor, but otherwise, the inside of the pagoda was virtually silent. A giant wooden pillar in the middle of the room creaked and groaned softly as it gently swayed from side to side. A monk stood by a set of stairs near the back of the room. "Looks like we've got to stay on the first floor." Kris whispered.

"Do you wish to ascend the tower?"

Kris jumped slightly – another monk had come up behind her, almost silently. "Oh, um…I mean, if it's allowed…"

The monk nodded. "Our elder tests the bonds between trainers and their pokémon. Ordinarily, access to the upper floors is not allowed, but for trainers, this is a place to test their mettle."

Kris brightened up. "Really? How cool!" she exclaimed. Teddy also smiled from her shoulder, and Kris smiled up at the monk. "Thank you very much for telling us!"

"It is not a problem." The monk nodded and returned her smile. "The elder rewards trainers who prove themselves to him with a helpful item, so many trainers come here to test themselves. It surprised me that you did not know."

"Eheh…well, I only just started my journey." Kris confessed.

"Then I wish you the blessings of fortune." the monk said, motioning to the other monk by the stairs to let her pass. "Now, go and test yourself against our elder."

"Thank you again!" Kris said, waving back at the monk and nodding at the one by the stairs. "Wow…" she said as she emerged on the second floor, "this place is kinda creepy when there's no people around."

Teddy gave a tiny shiver. "Let's get through here quickly."

Floor by floor they climbed, challenging monk after monk. Slowly, the team grew, and each Bellsprout went down a little bit faster. Finally, they made it to the top floor.

"Man," Kris muttered, "if we never battle a Bellsprout again…"

"Look!"

A cloud of dust was settling in the room ahead, and Kris' fists clenched when she noticed that one of the trainers had red hair.

An old man on the other side of the room stood up. He had a stern look on his face behind his neatly trimmed grey beard, and his bald head shined in the sunlight that came in from the windows behind him. His robes were much more ornate than those of the other monks – this must be the elder, Kris thought. "You are indeed skilled as a trainer." he told Silver. "As promised here is your HM. But let me say this," he continued as Silver coldly walked up and took the device out of the old man's hands, "you should treat your pokémon better. The way you battle is far too harsh. Pokémon are not tools of war –"

"I'll keep that in mind." Silver snapped, pocketing the HM. He turned on his heel and walked away without another word, stopping only when he saw a livid Kris in front of him. "Hmph. So you're here for the HM too? I'm amazed a weakling like you managed to get here."

"Shut up!" Kris snapped. "How dare you talk like that to an old monk!"

Silver scoffed. "He claims to be the elder, but he's weak. It stands to reason; I'd never lose to fools who babble about being nice to pokémon. I only care about strong pokémon that can win – I really couldn't care less about weak pokémon."

Kris stood stunned for a minute, trying to let his words sink in. Her hands shook, her eyes widened, and she could do nothing but stare at him. How could anyone say such things? Pokémon were living beings too! She could feel Teddy quivering with rage on her shoulder, and she reached up to put a hand on his head. "You…" she finally said, "are a monster."

Silver shrugged and turned around, pulling a pokéball out of his pocket. A Gastly emerged, looking freshly caught, and slowly began surrounding him with its mist. "I've been called worse." When he was completely covered, the mist sank down into the floor, taking Silver with it.

Kris stared at the spot where Silver stood moments ago, then stamped her foot. "Ooh! One of these days I'll –"

"Calm yourself, child." the monk said, sitting back on his mat. "It is no use getting angry at those who are ignorant. Those who argue with fools are but fools themselves. Now, come forward. You wish to challenge me as well, yes?"

Teddy nudged Kris' cheek, and she stepped forward with a deep breath. "Yes, I would."

"Splendid. It is so good of you to come here." the elder said. "My name is Li. I am the elder of Sprout Tower."

Kris nodded her head in greeting. "My name is Kris. I'm a trainer from New Bark Town."

"Then you have come to the right place. Sprout Tower is a place of training. People and their pokémon test their bonds to build a bright future together. I am the final test. Please," he said, releasing a Bellsprout from a pokéball, "allow me to test the ties between your pokémon and you."

"Of course. Go, Florence!" Kris called out a Pidgey from its ball, and he landed in front of the grass type.

Florence calmly preened a wing. "Another one of you?" he sighed. "My, my. You monks have no variety, do you?"

"Florence, use Gust!"

"Bellsprout," the elder called, "use Growth!"

Florence flapped up in the air and whipped up a small dust cloud. Bellsprout sunk its roots into the floor and endured the hit, growing larger as it did.

"Now, Vine Whip, Bellsprout!"

"Another Gust, Florence!"

Bellsprout raised one of its legs, readying its attack, but Florence knocked it over with another attack. "How dreadfully boring." he said, landing on the ground next to the fainted Bellsprout. "Why, this reminds me of when my dear great aunt Mathilda –"

"Florence, that's enough." Kris interrupted, calling him back. The elder, looking unfazed, sent out a Hoothoot, and Kris chose another pokéball from her belt. "Walter, it's your turn!"

A Geodude came out of Kris' ball and stretched his arms. "Finally my turn, huh? 'Bout time. C'mere, ya lump o' feathers. Lemme give ya a hug."

"Tackle, Walter!"

"You Tackle as well, Hoothoot."

Hoothoot flew up into the air as Walter dove for his attack, dodging it. Walter went skidding across the floor, and Hoothoot slammed into him. Walter barely seemed to notice and grabbed the Hoothoot by its leg, pulling himself towards it for another Tackle attack. This time, Hoothoot went flying. It circled around Walter, trying to gauge where best to attack.

"This ain't fair. Come down ta earth, featherbrain! I got a present for ya." Walter called, breaking off a small piece of himself and hurling it at Hoothoot. Kris cried out in horror, but the stone hit Hoothoot square between the eyes and sent it plummeting back down to the floor.

"Walter!"

"S'all right, lass!" Walter called back to her. "It'll grow back, don't you worry yer pretty little head about that!"

"I see you were not expecting your Geodude to learn Rock Throw." the elder commented coolly, sending out another Bellsprout. "Now, here it is. My last pokémon."

"Get back here, Walter," Kris said, recalling him, "and don't you ever scare me like that again! Now…Florence has gotten pretty strong, so…Teddy?"

Teddy looked away and shook his head. "I…I don't know a fire move…"

Kris smiled at him and pet his head. "It's all right, I know you will soon. For now, Ramón! Use Gust!"

Another Pidgey flew out of Kris' ball, and soared around the Bellsprout, taunting it. "Ay, this place está infestado! Look at all the weeds!"

"Bellsprout, let's not waste time. Vine Whip!"

"Your aim is way off there, chico!" Ramón taunted, whipping up another Gust attack. "Come back in a million years!"

The Bellsprout swayed, but could not stand the attack and fell over. "Ah, excellent." the elder said calmly, recalling his pokémon as Kris also recalled Ramón. He was smiling at her, and stood from his mat. "You and your pokémon should have no problem using this move. Take this Flash HM" he said, handing her a small disk. Kris thanked him and accepted the disk, though Teddy looked confused at it, and the elder continued talking. "Flash illuminates even the darkest of all places. But to use it out of battle, you need the badge from Violet's gym."

"What does it do in battle?"

"It flashes a blinding light at the opponent, distracting them and reducing their chance to hit you."

Kris smiled and pocketed the HM. "Thank you very much for the battle."

"Please, do not thank me." the elder said, giving her a small bow. "It is obvious you and your pokémon have a very strong bond. I believe that, together, you will achieve wondrous things."

Kris was surprised for a moment, then bowed slightly back at the elder, careful not to send Teddy toppling off. "You are very kind, Elder Li."

"Thank you, my girl. Good luck on your journey."

Kris smiled at the old man and turned back towards the stairs. She thought it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard the elder mutter "I must call Morty."

Teddy poked his head out to look in her pocket as they left the tower and headed back to the pokémon center. "How are we supposed to use that?"

"I'm not sure, Ted." Kris said. "We'll figure it out when we need it. And Teddy? Don't feel bad about not being able to battle up there." she said, petting him again. "We'll be doing lots of training before going to the gym."

Teddy looked into the waters of the ponds that surrounded the tower, staring at the wavering rainbows the light formed on the surface and watching them disappear as the wind made small whirlpools in them. "I promised I'd be strong for you."

"What was that?"

Teddy shook his head and nuzzled Kris' cheek. "Nothing. Can we go back to the pokémon center for tonight?"

"Of course." Kris said. "We'll get a little training in before sunset, and tomorrow, we'll take on the gym."


	4. Chapter 4

Kris sat in her room at the pokémon center, with Teddy on her right leg. Walter, Florence, Ramón, and Cotton were all settled in a circle in front of her, all looking very somber – except Ramón, who was continually pecking Florence and pretending that he hadn't. "Ramón, knock it off."

"Ay, chica, you need to get that stick out'chor ass and lighten up a little."

"This isn't the time for that. If you keep it up, I'm going to put you in the box."

"Fine, fine…"

Kris shook her head and sighed softly. She'd deal with Ramón later – right now, she had something to talk to her team about. "Well, guys, today's the day we try for our first gym badge. Nurse Joy told me that the gym uses flying types, so I think Walter would be –"

"I want to do it."

Everyone looked at Teddy, who stared only at Kris. He had a determined look on his face, and his voice held none of the waver it had previously. Kris blinked, then pat his head. "Teddy, Walter's got the advantage. It's safest to –"

"I want to earn you your badge, Kris!"

Everyone jumped, especially Kris. She'd never heard him yell before. She slowly took her hand away from his head, then looked at the rest of her team. Cotton was hiding behind Florence, who looked as though Teddy had just insulted his mother. Walter shifted around on his hands uncomfortably, and even Ramón was stunned into silence. "Teddy, m'lad," Walter started, "it ain't nothin' personal – "

"Now see here!" Florence chirped, hopping towards Teddy and placing his face very close to Teddy's. "That was quite rude! You should realize that she is only looking out for all of us, and –"

"I don't need to be babied!" Teddy snapped, jumping off of Kris' lap. "I can be strong on my own!"

"Guys!" Kris yelled, "That's enough!"

"No!" Teddy bristled. "Kris, I know you're worried, but I can handle it, I promise!"

Kris sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Then how about this, Teddy. Walter can clear out the trainers in the gym, and you can take out the leader's strongest pokémon. How does that sound?"

"Works fer me." Walter said, looking over at Teddy. "How's it sound ta you, Ted?"

Teddy glanced over at Walter, then looked back up at Kris. "You promise?"

"I promise, Teddy."

Teddy stared at her for another moment, then settled down next to her. "Okay."

Kris relaxed, glad that the feud was over. But she could tell Teddy wanted to be alone for a while, so she stood up and grabbed her jacket. "I'm going to go downstairs and eat something, okay guys? Be good while I'm gone." There was a general murmur of agreement from her pokémon, and Kris hesitantly left.

"…In other news, a record-sized whirlpool was recorded today in the Whirl Islands…"

Kris emerged downstairs into the main lobby of the pokémon center, and saw some other trainers milling about. They were eating and chatting freely, but Kris took the complementary breakfast and sat apart from the others, near a large television on the wall showing the news. She munched on her cereal in silence, Teddy's words still echoing in her head. Had she really been babying him? With Teddy's aversion to battling against Silver, she hadn't thought so. Maybe he had something to prove, but to whom? Kris trusted him, surely he knew that. To the other pokémon on the team, maybe?

She frowned, then pushed her cereal away. Her headache certainly wasn't helping matters, and she needed to concentrate on her gym battle to concentrate on after she left. She stood and disposed of her leftover food and slowly climbed the stairs back to her room.

She turned the knob slowly and re-entered her room, feeling somehow more tired than she had when she had woken up. Teddy hadn't moved from his position on the bed, but Cotton had floated over to him and appeared to be consoling him. Ramón was busy harassing Florence again, the pair flying around the room as Walter practiced his aim with by lobbing tiny rocks at them. Everyone but Teddy turned to look at her when she opened the door, and she took a deep breath, getting their pokeballs. "So, are we ready for a gym battle?"

##########

"Are you certain?"

"Quite. The girl responded to her pokémon as if they were speaking back to her. I may be old, Mortimer, but I know what I heard."

"I'm not doubting you. I'm just having a hard time believing such a thing is possible."

"All things are possible, dear boy. Did I teach you nothing as a child?"

There was a short pause on the line, but Elder Li could picture the small smile on the other man's face. "You taught me many things, father. But you can't deny this is a bit of a shock."

"True, it's not something I expected to ever encounter."

"I meant you actually using a telephone and calling me."

"Stop your sass, boy. You would have heard it from Falkner soon anyway, I'm sure. She's challenging him today."

"Oh? She's taking the gym challenge? Hm…that's very interesting."

"Do you think she could be…"

"It's possible, but I won't be able to tell for sure until she gets here."

"I have a feeling that she'll make it sooner than you think."

"Then I'll be waiting for her. What was her name again?"

"Kris, I believe."

"Kris, huh…I'll be sure to keep an eye out for her."

##########

"So, your name is Kris."

Kris stood before the end of the gym, Walter and Teddy standing on either side of her. She nodded, worried that if she spoke her voice would shake as badly as her hands. The young man before her, clad in a blue traditional practice outfit, stood coolly in his position. His hair swept over his face, but he seemed more confident that anyone Kris had ever met. Kris bit her lip and hoped she wasn't blushing; he was more handsome than anyone she'd ever met, too.

"I'm Falkner, the Violet Pokémon Gym Leader." he said. If he noticed Kris' awkwardness, he didn't make note of it. "You are here to challenge me for a badge, yes?"

"Y-yes."

Falkner's one visible eye darted to her side, staring at Walter. "I see you have a Geodude." he said curtly. He turned his head back to Kris and took out a pokeball. "Do you think you have this battle won simply because you have a pokémon with a type advantage? It's dangerous to underestimate me – I am a master of flying type pokémon, and I will not allow any insults to them!"

Kris flinched when he yelled, but she felt Teddy press against her leg reassuringly, and she looked back up at him. "I'll fight as hard as I can with my pokémon!"

Falker finally cracked a small smile. "Perfect answer." he said. "Come on, then! I'll show you the real power of my magnificent bird pokémon!"

"Go, Walter!"

"Pidgey, go!"

Walter snorted as Falkner's Pidgey came out of its ball. "One o' you? I thought this was s'posed to be some big, impor'nt fight." Calmly, he broke off another small chunk of himself and hurled it at the Pidgey. "Get outta here!"

The rock struck Pidgey square in the beak as it dive-bombed Walter, sending him hurling back through the air. He crashed to the floor, out cold. Falkner scowled as he recalled his first pokémon. "You may have won this round, but let's see how you'll handle my next pokémon! Pidgeotto, go!"

Kris tensed up. That was a big Pidgeotto – was it a good idea to send Teddy in? Maybe Walter should weaken it first. But Walter was coming back to her of his own accord, and both he and Teddy looked up at her expectantly. "Walter, I didn't –"

"You promised, Kris!"

"Aye, y'did make a promise." Walter said, calmly. "Y'can't be scared. We all know what could happen, but y'gotta trust the lad. He won' let ya down."

Kris looked down at Teddy, who was frowning at her. His face was determined, and it slowly dawned on Kris that nothing she could do or say would stop him from going up against Pidgeotto.

"What are you waiting for? Send out your pokémon!" Falkner called. "Or do you forfeit the challenge?"

"Teddy?"

"What?"

"Be careful."

Teddy nodded. "I will."

Falkner tilted his head curiously as Teddy took the field. "Your Cyndaquil? Are you patronizing me?"

"Teddy is strong!" Kris said, balling her fists as Teddy's back flared up. "And we'll show you! Use Ember, Teddy!"

Falkner snorted. "Pidgeotto, blow those little flames away with Gust."

Teddy took in a deep breath, then released his flames straight toward Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto was unfazed, and calmly flapped his wings. A powerful gust of wind not only put out Teddy's attack, but buffeted Teddy, too. He was sent skidding back, but he determinedly charged forward, firing off another Ember attack.

"Tackle it, Pidgeotto."

Pidgeotto folded in its wings and sped toward Teddy. It gracefully dodged Teddy's Ember, but Teddy quickly launched another attack. Pidgeotto dodged the first wave of flames, but couldn't quite get past the second. The embers landed in its face and Pidgeotto screeched in pain. It flapped wildly around, trying to claw the smoldering flecks from its beak.

"Great shot, Teddy!"

"Pidgeotto, land!"

Pidgeotto screeched again, tumbling down toward the floor. It couldn't control its landing, however, and crashed hard on the floor. It seemed to crumple before their eyes, and lay still. Only the slight raising and lowering of its feathers showed it was still alive.

Teddy smiled proudly as he looked at his defeated opponent. His grin faded and he let out a cry as he slowly began to glow a blinding white. His body grew and elongated, becoming sleeker and smoother. When the glow faded, Teddy looked completely different. He turned back towards Kris, a tiny smirk on his face, and finally opened his eyes to look at hers. "I told you I could do it."

Kris squeaked and clapped her hands happily. "Teddy, you evolved!" she said, running over to him and giving him a hug as Falkner let out a small sigh and recalled his Pidgeotto. Kris was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"My dad's cherished bird pokémon…" Falkner muttered under his breath. With another sigh, he turned around and opened a small box next to his seat and pulled something out. "All right. Take this." he said, walking over to Kris and holding something out to her. "It's the official Pokémon League Zephyr badge."

Kris stood, still smiling, and accepted the small badge. It was shaped like a pair of bird's wings swept back in flight, and she stared at it in silence. Her hands began to tremble slightly as the light shone off of it, and she knelt back down and held it out to Teddy. "Look, Teddy. Our first badge." She smiled and put her other hand on his head, gently petting him. "And you earned it all on your own."

Teddy put his front paws on Kris' leg and took a closer look at the badge. He was smiling too, and he looked back up at Kris happily. "I knew I could."

"You did wonderfully, Teddy."

Falkner coughed, snapping Kris' attention back to him. "As I was saying…the Zephyr badge raises the attack power of pokémon. It also enables pokémon to use Flash, if they have it, anytime." He fished around in a pocket for a minute, then handed Kris a small disk. "Here – take this too. It's the TM for Mud Slap. It reduces the enemy's accuracy while it causes damage. In other words, it's both defensive and offensive. Use it well – unlike HMs, TMs can only be used once."

Kris nodded, pocketing the TM. She carefully pinned the badge to the lapel of her jacket, then looked back up at Falkner. "Thank you very much for the battle."

"Don't mention it." Falkner said, pocketing his pokeballs. "I'm a gym leader. Accepting challenges is what I do. It's my training to become the greatest master of flying type pokémon."

Kris tilted her head. "Is that your goal?"

"Of course it's my goal. If I didn't have a goal, it wouldn't be fair to me or the pokémon I train with." he said, looking curiously at Kris. "What's your goal?"

"Um…"

"You mean you don't have one? Then why did you challenge me?" Falkner demanded.

Kris rubbed her arm slightly and Teddy growled softly at Falkner's tone. "Well, Professor Elm recommended that I take the gym challenge…I guess I wasn't thinking about much besides just getting out of New Bark Town."

Falker stood in silence for a moment, then crossed his arms. "The League and the gym challenge are not to be taken lightly, Kris." he finally said. "To not know your destination is one thing, but to not even know the next step on the path is quite another." He opened his eyes and looked at her sternly. "To see the world is not a bad desire, but it is not a goal in and of itself."

Kris looked back down at Teddy and Walter, who had come up behind her and was congratulating Teddy. They looked up at her, but their faces were blank. Kris bit her lip. "Um…I guess…to beat all the gyms in Johto."

Falkner nodded. "There is nothing wrong with small goals, so long as they combine into bigger ones." he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you wish to continue challenging gyms, then your next destination is Azalea Town in the south. The gym leader's name is Bugsy. You will need to get through Union Cave to get there."

Teddy raised himself up and braced his front legs against Kris' thigh. "Another gym? Can we, Kris, please?"

"Aye, I wouldn't mind doin' another gym." Walter added. "I know the rest o' th' team wouldn't mind either."

Kris nodded. "Azalea Gym it is, then." she said. "We'll go get – oh?" Kris' phone was vibrating in her pocket, and she looked back up at Falkner. "Excuse me. Thanks again for the battle."

Falkner nodded. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Kris quickly left the gym and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Kris, glad I caught you!"

Kris smiled. "Hello Professor. What's up?"

"Well, it's a bit of a surprise, but I have something for you. Mr. Lowe is waiting to deliver it to you in the pokémon center in Violet City."

"A present?"

"Of sorts."

"Wow, thank you, Professor!"

Professor Elm chuckled. "Don't mention it. Mr. Lowe will tell you all about it in the pokémon center."

"I'm headed there right now. I got the Zephyr badge!"

"Did you really? Good for you, Kris! I knew you could do it!"

"My pokémon worked really hard. And Teddy evolved!"

"Teddy is a Quilava now? My goodness, you've had an eventful day." the professor remarked. "Well, go rest at the pokémon center and collect your surprise. I'll go and tell your mother about your day."

"All right. See ya, Professor!" Kris chirped, snapping her phone shut. "Come on, boys, back to the pokémon center!"

Teddy nodded and Walter reached up to let himself back into his pokeball. The sun was beginning to set over the city, bathing the olden style buildings in a pink and gold glow. Kris hadn't realized how much time had passed while she was in the gym – she supposed that she had gotten lost on her way there for longer than she had thought. She and Teddy walked slowly back towards the pokémon center, and Teddy seemed strangely silent. Kris didn't pressure him, however. She was too busy enjoying the evening. She took a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh. Maybe city life wasn't so bad after all.

"Kris, long time no see." Mr. Lowe called as Kris and Teddy passed through the automatic glass doors of the pokémon center. He was carrying a large bag slung awkwardly over one shoulder. He waved and came up to her, passing a small group of trainers crowded around a small boy sobbing about his Rattata. "Poor kid…" he said when he was close to Kris. "His Rattata got beat up pretty bad by a wild one, from what I could hear. Last I heard them say something to him, it was in emergency surgery."

Teddy pressed up against Kris' leg worriedly, and Kris lowered her head. "Poor kid." she agreed softly.

"Oh my, your Cyndaquil evolved!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice before. Anyway, Professor Elm sent me to give you something."

"He told me. What is it?"

Mr. Lowe reached down to unzip the bag, then carefully removed the egg she had delivered from Mr. Pokémon to them. "You see, we did some research on this egg, and we discovered that a pokémon will not grow in its egg and hatch unless it is around other, active pokémon." he explained. "You're the only one we can rely on, Kris. Would you take this egg and call us when it hatches?"

"Of course." Kris said. "I'd be happy to."

"Then I leave it in your care." Mr. Lowe said, gingerly handing the egg over to her. Kris cradled it in her arms, and Mr. Lowe zipped up the bag. "Now, I really should get back to the lab." he said, revealing a pokeball. He pressed the button on it, releasing a small green pokémon.

Teddy instantly froze at Kris' side. "Flora?"

The Chikorita stopped and stared at Teddy. "Wh-what –?"

"It's me! I'm called Teddy now – don't you recognize me?'

The Chikorita stared for another moment, then slowly smiled and jumped happily towards Teddy. "Oh my gosh! I didn't recognize you! You got big! But I thought – ?"

"I had a reason." Teddy said quickly, nuzzling her head. "You're looking pretty good yourself."

Chikorita giggled. "Thanks! The Professor's been spending lots of time with me since you and Toto left. But we really do need to get back." she pouted. "Come back and visit sometime, okay? It's lonely."

"I have to go where Kris goes." Teddy said. "I promised I'd protect her."

Chikorita looked a little hurt, but she eventually slowly nodded. "I understand."

"Come on, Chikorita." Mr. Lowe said, patting his leg softly. "We need to get back to the lab."

Chikorita followed Mr. Lowe and turned around for one last moment before they went back through the doors. "Bye, Teddy!" she called happily. "I'll see you sometime!"

Teddy smiled and stood on his hind legs. "Bye, Flora!"

"A friend of yours, I presume?"

Teddy dropped back down to all fours and blushed. "Flora was a really good friend back at the lab. We would play together all the time, and…"

"She defended you from Toto?"

Teddy's blush deepened and he turned his head to look behind Kris at the crying boy. "Hey Kris?"

"Yeah?"

"You know that we'll all protect you 'till the end, right?"

Kris paused for a moment, then said quietly "I really hope it doesn't come to that, Teddy." She turned around and tilted her head slightly. "Come on, let's go back up to the room so I can put this egg down. Then we can rest for the night, all right?"

"Okay." Teddy said, following her up the stairs. Just before their view of the lobby was gone, Teddy noticed Nurse Joy coming out from the back of the center with fresh tearstains on her apron and walking towards the little boy.


	5. Chapter 5

"I trust the gym leader gave you no problems?"

"Are you kidding? All she had to fight with was a bunch of bugs. Even that Scyther didn't stand a chance."

"Excellent. Where is she now?"

"Don't worry. I'm keeping a good eye on her."

"I didn't ask you that, Proton."

Proton snorted. "I got her right here. You want to say hello or something? She hasn't left my sight since we got her."

"Make sure that it stays that way."

"Whatever. You're the boss." Proton flipped his communicator shut, then looked down at the large lump on the ground in front of him and gave it a kick. It had started to wiggle.

"I'm a boy!"

Proton scowled. It seemed that the gag had come undone. "You won't be for much longer if you don't keep quiet." he hissed. In one fluid motion, he slid the knife Archer had given him out of its sheath and pressed it against his captive's crotch. "Maybe I should cut off that pretty hair too, while I'm at it. Then no one would be able to tell what you were, you little freak."

His captive squirmed. "You won't get away with this."

"Big words, little girl." Proton lazily dragged the tip of his knife up his captive's cheek. "You're really not in any position to be making any threats."

"When the other gym leaders find out about this – !"

Proton laughed. "Let them! If they're all as weak as you, taking over this pathetic region will be a piece of cake." He toyed with his knife again, examining it carefully. He then shot his hand out, grabbing a nearby Slowpoke by the tail and dragging it over. He knelt down and placed the edge of his knife at the base of the pokémon's tail. By this time, the Slowpoke had realized what was going on, and was struggling to get away. Proton held it firmly in place, slowly pushing his blade through the tail. The pokémon squirmed, but its efforts were futile, and Proton's blade soon clicked against the stone under it. He tossed the Slowpoke aside, holding up the still-bleeding tail. He smirked down at his captive, then raised the tip of the Slowpoke's tail and licked off the sweet fluid that made Slowpoketails so popular before sinking his teeth in and tearing off a bite. He chewed for a moment, then tossed the tail down in front of his captive's face. "Since your gag is off, do you want a bite?"

##########

Kris wasn't entirely sure this was a smart idea.

Sure, she was headed toward Union Cave anyway, and this kid no longer had any pokémon to protect him. Once he got to the Pokémon Center she'd been told was near the entrance to the cave, she could drop him off with his big sister, but the problem was getting there in the first place.

A smart idea, escorting a kid through a route full of vicious wild pokémon? Perhaps not. But a good idea? Kris was sure of that. This kid was stranded all alone in Violet City, and he had just lost his best friend and only protection to a Rattata on this very route. She couldn't leave him all alone, not after she saw him crying this morning. "Stay close to me, kid. I'll get you there safely."

The kid clasped her arm and nodded silently, hiding behind her. "Th-this is the place where Ratter…"

"I know. It's okay, I'll make sure nothing hurts you."

"B-but that's the Rattata!"

"Huh?"

Teddy growled and leaped in front of Kris, letting out an Ember as he did. A fairly large Rattata squeaked and stumbled backwards, but quickly regained itself and glared up at Teddy. Its fangs were stained red, and Kris quickly hid the boy completely behind her before he could see that it was feasting on half of the corpse of another Rattata.

"Any trespassers who disturb my meal get turned into meals themselves!" the Rattata warned, whiskers twitching. "Lucky me that you come pre-cooked!"

"Goodness, how could you?" Cotton scolded from her perch atop Kris' head. "You brute! You killed this boy's Rattata!"

"And I'll make sure you never do it again." Teddy growled, flaring up.

The Rattata merely twitched his whiskers again. "A brute, am I? I'm just trying to survive, same as any other pokémon. The human has rotted your mind and turned you against your true nature. You're no better than one of them!"

"Enough!" Kris hurled a pokeball through the air, catching the Rattata off-guard when it bounced off his head. The ball thrashed wildly for a moment, but finally settled down. A bright, digitized glow formed on the ball's surface before, with a tiny blip, it was automatically transported to her PC account. She closed her eyes for a moment, then quickly took the boy's trembling arm and pulled him away.

The boy was silent for the rest of the route, safe for the occasional sniffle. Kris didn't know what to say to him, but she kept a firm grip on his hand in an effort to reassure him. They made it to the center without any further issues, and a girl ran out to meet him, crying happily. The boy ran up to her and buried his head in her waist as he clung to her. "Oh thank you, thank you!" the girl said, holding the boy securely. "When I heard that Eddy's Rattata died…"

Kris shook her head. "Don't mention it." she said slowly. "I did what anyone would have done."

"Still, thank you." she said. "I worry so much about Eddy, I'm so glad that he's safe, especially with that shady salesman hanging around."

"Shady salesman?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, inside. I'm not sure exactly what he's selling, but I don't trust the look of him."

Kris nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for him."

The girl smiled, releasing a Noctowl from a pokeball. "Come on, Eddy. Let's go home."

Eddy nodded silently and climbed onto the back of the Noctowl, his sister climbing on behind him. "Thank you so much again. But I'm sorry – I never got your name."

"Oh…it's Kris."

"Kris, huh? I'll be sure to remember that." the girl said, smiling. She patted her Noctowl's side gently. "All right, Morpheus, take us home." The giant owl hooted softly, then took off, leaving Kris standing with Teddy and Cotton outside the pokémon center.

Cotton clutched onto Kris' hat as the pair took off. "Oh goodness me, I'm so happy that little Eddy is back with his sister."

"I'm glad that Rattata won't be able to hurt any more pokémon." Teddy said, lowering his head. "You think that other Rattata was –"

"Let's not think about it." Kris interrupted. "Come on – let's head inside. We should rest for a bit before going into the cave."

"Oh goodness, let's, please."

Teddy followed Kris into the center, and she immediately found herself facing a tall man dressed all in black. He was grinning widely, but there was something unnatural about it – it almost seemed too wide, and too gleaming white. "Hey there! How would you like to try a delicious Slowpoketail? All yours for just one million Poke!"

Kris stepped back, frowning. "A million Poke? That's ridiculous! Who would ever pay that much for something to eat?"

The man's grin instantly faded, and Kris took another step back. Without his grin, the man's face contorted into something wholly different than what it had been. She could see the anger seething just beneath his face, and he turned away from her. "Damn, I thought kids these days were loaded…" he muttered as he walked away.

Kris snorted softly as she recalled Teddy and Cotton. "What a creep." she muttered as she handed her pokeballs to Nurse Joy. A few minutes later, she stood before the entrance to Union Cave. The cave's opening yawned before her, and Kris gave a small shudder. If this was really the only way to Azalea Town, she didn't really have much of a choice. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

The outside light didn't reach very far inside the cave, but there were enough gaps in the roof for her to see where she was going. She stumbled around rocks and pools of water fed by a steady stream of drops from the stalactites up above. A sad, mournful cry echoed up through the rocks, as if it were emerging from the very cave itself, and Kris froze in her tracks. Her skin was tight with goosebumps as she carefully continued walking. Whatever that thing was, she was certain that she didn't want to run into it.

Two hours later saw her emerging from Union Cave, blinking in the bright sunlight. "Ugh…I hate caves. I'm so glad I bought a Repel before coming here…"

"If ya hate caves s'much, then why'd ya come in ta Dark Cave an' catch me?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Walter sighed and Teddy shook his head. "You're weird, Kris."

"You wouldn't be the first to tell me that. Hey – who's that guy?"

A man dressed all in black, much like the salesman in the pokémon center, stood in front of what looked like an old well. This man, however, had a large red R on his shirt, unlike the salesman. In front of him was a path that led into what had to be Azalea Town.

"Dunno…but he looks weird." Teddy said.

"Well, we gotta go past him anyway. So, I think that – "

"Hey, you!" the man suddenly barked. "Stay away from this well! It's dangerous and unsafe!"

Kris stopped in her tracks and blinked. "Um…but I wasn't going to go into the well at all."

The man snorted. "Yeah, well, this well's as much of a tourist attraction as this place has. Lotta people do go down it. But there was a collapse the other day, so I'm keeping people away."

"Oh! So that R must stand for repair!"

"Sure, kid. That's it."

"Well, thanks for the warning, mister repairman!" Kris said, smiling. "Come on Teddy, Walter. We didn't see any pokémon in the cave, so let's explore the town."

"I dinnae see much t' explore, lass." Walter said as they walked into the town proper. "Th' place looks almost deserted."

Teddy pressed himself against Kris' leg. "I don't like this place, Kris…"

"It's just a small town, guys." Kris assured them. "Not much different from New Bark Town. Though you'd think a town with a gym in it would be a little less off the beaten path…" she muttered, looking around as well. She sighed, kicking up some dust at her feet. "Oh well. Should we go scout out the gym?"

"Okay!"

"Why not?"

Kris scooped Walter up in her arms so that they could move faster and began to wander. It didn't take her long to find the gym – it was easily the biggest building in town, double the size of any other. But as Teddy's ears pricked forward, Kris saw something wrong. Two men were standing outside the gym, one of them yelling furiously at the other, who was dressed in the same black clothes as the man she'd passed by the well. "I wonder what the commotion is?"

"Best t'stay away, lassie." Walter muttered. "Men fightin' ain't no place fer th' likes o' us."

"But we need to go to the gym…"

"I'll figure out what's wrong!" Teddy said. He quickly bounded forward, racing for the entrance.

The man in black noticed Teddy first. Kris was close enough to see his eyes light up for a split second, but the yelling man interrupted him as Kris, having returned Walter to his ball, chased Teddy down. "And I swear, if I ever get my hands on that boss of yours, I'll – !"

"Um…is something wrong with the gym?"

The yelling man stopped in his tracks and turned to Kris, sputtering as his cries tripped over themselves with their sudden stop. "Something wrong? I would say so! Team Rocket has taken all the Slowpoke, that's what's wrong! And Bugsy hasn't been back to town for days!"

"I'm telling you, I don't know where the gym leader – "

"The gym is broken, right? It needs to be repaired?" Kris interrupted, pointing at the man's shirt. "I saw another repairman dressed just like you standing outside a well. He said that there had been a collapse, so he was keeping people away." Kris tilted her head, wandering slowly back around to look at the rest of the gym. "It doesn't look like there was a collapse here, though…"

"It was internal!" the man in black spouted. "Some of the, ah, internal beams aren't exactly up to par, so I'm just keeping challengers away from the gym while my, um, crew works on fixing the damage."

"Tauros dung!" the other man bellowed. "There's not a thing wrong with this gym's infrastructure! I should know, I helped build it! Are you seriously telling me you've never heard of Team Rocket, kid?"

Kris blanched. "Um…"

"I'll tell you who they are! Bunch of low-down gangsters, that's what! Pokémon thieves! And they've stolen all our Slowpoke!" He spat at the man in black's feet, then turned on his heel to face Kris. "You! You said you saw another one standing outside a well? Come with me! I'll show 'em old Kurt won't take this lying down, no sir!" He began to march off, and Teddy gave a small growl.

"He's a bossy man."

"Well?" Kurt called over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

Kris heard the man in black behind her give a derivative snort. "Crazy, nosy old man…"

Kris shifted on her feet, then took off after the old man, Teddy only a beat behind. When she finally caught up with him, he cracked his knuckles and turned around again, heading back towards the entrance to town. "Good. You're a smart kid."

"Who are you?"

"Who, me?" The man laughed, sounding much less angry than he had before. "Sorry. We're not used to having tourists come around. My name's Kurt. I make pokeballs the old fashioned way – by carving out Apricorns."

"Um, I'm Kris. I'm a trainer from New Bark Town. And this is Teddy." she said, gesturing down to her pokémon.

"New Bark Town, eh?" Kurt said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You mean you're right on the border of Kanto and you don't know about Team Rocket?"

"Well…news travels really slowly to New Bark Town. Most people take the MagLev train if they want to come to Johto."

Kurt laughed again. "Good point."

"Are they really gangsters?"

"Oh, the worst kind, kid." Kurt assured her. "Pokémon are just weapons to them. They hurt them, steal them, and will do anything for power. Three years ago, they nearly took over Silph Co. They were supposed to have disbanded…guess some of 'em didn't get the memo."

Teddy jumped into Kris' arms, shivering, and Kris held him tight. Her . "S-so the Slowpoketail that guy tried to sell us…"

Kurt frowned, steeling his eyes forward. "Yeah, kid. That was probably an actual tail they cut off of some poor Slowpoke."

Teddy shuddered and Kris' cheeks took on a pale green hue. She swallowed hard, forcing the bile back down her throat, and gripped Teddy even tighter. "But…why would anyone – ?"

"I told you, kid. They're the worst kind of gangsters." Kurt said shortly. He kept walking, eyes set forward as if to distract himself from the unpleasant thought. "Slowpoke are real important to us, here in Azalea Town." he finally explained. "Legend has it that, four hundred years ago, there was a real bad drought. Crops failed, people starved…it was awful. Everyone was praying for rain. Then, out of nowhere, someone finds a Slowpoke sitting on that exact spot where the well is now. No one knew how it got there. But when it yawned, clouds finally gathered and rain came to the people. They rejoiced, and in memory, built a well on the spot where the Slowpoke sat."

Kris nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. Did it matter that Slowpoke were particularly sacred to this town? Either way, pokémon were getting hurt, and now they were going to save them. She gave Teddy another squeeze as the entrance to town came into view. The man in black, the Team Rocket member, was still standing there.

On seeing the man, Kurt took off charging for him again. "Hey, you there! Get away from that well, you punk!" The rocket, seeing Kurt, swore loudly and scurried down the ladder behind him. Kurt quickly followed, but in his haste, his foot slipped off of one of the wet rungs of the ladder. With a flail of his arms, Kurt tumbled backward down into the well.

"Kurt!"

Teddy raced forward towards the well, Kris arriving only a beat behind him. She quickly returned Teddy to his ball and started down the ladder herself, gripping the sides fiercely so she didn't slip as well.

Kurt lay at the base of the ladder, swearing loudly. "My back!"

"We've got to get you back up – "

"No time…" Kurt grumbled, trying to sit up and rubbing his back. "You go chase after those Team Rocket scumbags in my place. I'll be all right."

Kris bit her lip. "B-but you're hurt!"

"The Slowpoke are hurtin' even more, kid." Kurt growled. He dragged himself over and supported himself against a wall. "I'll be all right."

"A-are you – ?"

"Go, Kris!"

Kris jumped, then scrambled backward. She quickly turned around and hurried deeper into the dank tunnel. "Ugh…I can't see anything…Teddy, would you light your fire?" she asked, calling him back out. Teddy flared up almost immediately, lighting up the path before them, but growled at something just beyond his glow.

"There you are." a voice spat. "You're that kid who came chargin' in here with that crazy old koot. Well, now you're gonna pay!" The Rocket grunt stepped forward, his face eerily lit by Teddy's fire, and held up a pokéball. "I'm gonna do to you what we're doin' to those Slowpoke!"

Kris scowled. "Teddy," she said in a low voice, "use Ember. And keep using it."

"No problem."

A few mooks later, Kris slowly approached what appeared to be the end of the tunnel. Teddy's flames were getting a little lower, but he stopped short once he saw what lay at the end of the tunnel.

A man stood, a shadow against shadows, with a dripping blade raised in his hand. He deftly put his foot under a small lump at his foot and kicked it away. It rolled towards Kris and into Teddy's light, and Kris gasped in horror. It was a Slowpoke, its tail freshly cut off. The stump was bleeding gruesomely, and the pokémon slowly raised its head to look at Teddy and Kris. She could only stand, frozen into silence.

Teddy snarled and leapt over the Slowpoke. Without a signal from Kris, he charged at the man, eyes blazing as bright as his freshly kindled flames. "You'll pay for this!"

The man turned his head to look at Teddy, and his face was briefly underlit by Teddy's fire, but one more swift kick sent Teddy flying off to the side. He yelped and flew back at Kris, ramming into the stone wall of the cave before slumping down.

"Teddy!"

"Do you know why I like this knife so much, little girl?" Kris froze – when had he gotten so close to her? He held up his knife, glinting in the faint fire still given off by Teddy. "It's because no matter how much blood I spill, the blade is never stained by it."

Kris gulped, her hands trembled, her head pounded. A scream pressed up against her throat, trying to escape, but she couldn't even move. She could barely make out Teddy struggling and failing to get to his feet a few feet away, and suddenly there he was. The man had slunk behind her, put his face right beside her ear, and spoke with a smooth, silky calm.

"Do you have any idea how _liberating_ that is, girl?" he asked, grinning. "To be able to possess something so beautiful that will never be tarnished? Look, girl, the blade is already red." He thrust the knife in front of her face and Kris couldn't help but flinch. Sure enough, the blade gleamed with the fresh blood of the Slowpoke at her feet, but she could only see the wet shine, and not the blood.

The man smiled again and pulled the knife away. "Are you familiar with Seviper, girl?" he asked. "Ah, I don't expect you are. They're marvelous pokémon, native to a region far away from here. They know what power and elegance truly are, for their whole bodies are designed for one purpose. Can you guess what it is, girl? Surely you are not quite as slow as the pathetic excuses for pokémon in this mud hole." He kicked the Slowpoke at their feet once again, and lowered his voice to a hiss.

"Did you think you were smart, girl, to figure out Team Rocket's plans? Did you think you were brave to come here alone and rescue the gym leader?" Something cold and sharp pressed against Kris' cheek, and she squeezed her eyes shut. One twitch, and she was as good as dead. "It's a shame that such a pretty little face hid such a misguided mind. But ignorant children must be taught a lesson. If they are going to meddle in the affairs of adults…" He trailed off, pressing the blade harder against Kris' cheek. "They will be punished like one."

"Get away from her…!"

The man stumbled aside as Teddy rammed into him, flames blazing hotter and higher than ever. His eyes glowed like coals as he growled and spat flames at him, scorching the rock of the cave whenever the man dodged out of the way. Kris slumped to the ground, trembling as she watched her beloved Teddy rip into the man with his teeth and claws, twisting and darting out of the way whenever that horrible knife flashed out to strike back at him. "N-no…Teddy, stop! Stop it!"

Teddy hesitated for only an instant, but it was all the man needed. He howled in pain as the man's knife slashed open his head and backed away. Blood matted and dripped from his fur, around his eyes, and his paws left small prints of it on the floor as he slunk back, glaring at the man. His eyes glinted, but whether with blood or rage, Kris couldn't tell. He braced himself as the man stared him down, then opened his mouth.

The man's eyes widened and he whipped a pokéball off of his belt. He hurled it down at the ground just as Teddy unleashed a burst of flame straight at his face. The explosion rocked the whole cave, sending a rain of dust and rocks down from the ceiling. When Kris found the courage to peek out from under her arms, the man had disappeared, and Walter and Cotton were out of their balls, standing between her and Teddy.

"Easy now, lad…jes' take it easy…"

Teddy snarled back at Walter, an awful, guttural, feral noise that Kris never would have dreamed her sweet little Teddy could make. His eyes were bright and crazed, and Kris realized with a lump in her throat that he didn't even recognize her, or the others.

"Ay, Florence." she heard Ramón whisper above her head – they must have come out too. "There's another señorita here, tied up behind the rocks. Help me get her free, will ya?" The birds fluttered off, but the noise startled Teddy, who immediately launched another stream of fire at them. They quickly dodged it and Teddy's flame struck a huge mound of Slowpoketails. Blood that had been oozing onto the floor ignited and the stench of charred flesh filled the cave, and faster than Kris had ever thought possible, Walter was on top of Teddy, pinning him to the ground.

Teddy writhed and struggled under Walter's grip, but couldn't move. He snarled viciously again at Cotton when she floated down in front of him. "Oh g-goodness, Teddy, p-please stop. Y-you're scaring Kris, g-goodness yes."

Slowly, Teddy's struggles began to stop. His eyes cleared, and he seemed dazed. "Wh-what?" he asked groggily as Walter released him. "What did I…?" His speech trailed off as he looked around, and he shrank back as he saw the scorching of the rocks, the bonfire of severed tails, and Kris trembling on her knees a few feet away. He jumped when he saw the blood on his paws, and began to tremble when he realized that the blood dripping down in front of him was his own. "I…I did all this? Oh no…no, it can't be…" He gently padded over towards Kris, a pleading look in his eyes. "K-Kris…?"

Kris couldn't help it. She flinched away from Teddy and whimpered softly, clutching her trembling arms as tears streamed down her face. "H-home…" she sobbed. "I w-want to go home…!"

Teddy froze, pain creeping into his eyes and spreading through his face with the blood. He slowly lowered his head and turned his back to her, slinking into the darkest corner he could find.

There was a noise nearby, but Kris didn't care. She couldn't care. Someone was coming, and something else was moving closer by. Ramón and Florence fluttered back over to Walter and Cotton, who were looking between themselves, Kris, and Teddy with growing concern.

"Ya did it, Kris!" someone whooped joyously. "I knew you – !"

"Kurt! You brought her down here?" another voice sharply demanded.

"Wha? Bugsy! You're okay!"

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" the second voice snapped. "Look at her! That Rocket nearly killed her!"

"B-but Bugsy, she's not much younger than you! And she's a trainer – "

"She's obviously a rookie, Kurt!"

"I-I fell down the well and hurt my back…"

"So you sent a rookie trainer to come face down a high-ranking Rocket admin alone? I can't believe you! I bet you just charged down here in a rage and dragged her along for being unlucky enough to be in your way, but even I didn't think you'd go so far as to endanger a kid's life!"

The Slowpoke that had been at Kris' feet walked between the two voices and lay down. It opened its mouth in a wide yawn and, incredibly, mist began to form on the roof of the cave. The other mutilated Slowpokes also opened their mouths to yawn, causing more and more mist to build. Slowly, drops began to form on the rocks until they fell in a gentle rain.

Kurt paused, his shame hanging almost perceptibly in the air. Kris was a trembling wreck, sobbing and sniffling on the ground as her pokémon, except for Teddy, all gathered nervously around her, close enough to try and offer some kind of comfort, but far enough away that she wouldn't try to shy back. Teddy's flames sputtered out, but he didn't even seem to notice. "I…"

"Help me get her back out into town." the second voice said. "You can apologize to her when she's in a fit state to be apologized to."

"R-right…"

"Get her pokémon. I'll help her up. What's her name?"

"It's Kris."

"Kris, huh?" The owner of the voice stepped closer to Kris and knelt down, and her pokémon parted respectfully. "Kris? My name is Bugsy. I'm the gym leader here in Azalea Town."

No answer.

"Kris, we're gonna get out of this well, all right?"

Still no response.

Bugsy slowly reached up to put a hand on Kris' shoulder. She flinched, but otherwise didn't move. "I'm going to help you get up, all right? You need to stand up. Can you do that for me, Kris?"

Finally, Kris nodded. Bugsy wrapped an arm around her and gently helped her to her feet. She leaned heavily on him, but Bugsy supported her easily. She barely registered the feeling of her pokéballs being taken off her belt or the sound of her pokémon being recalled, as Bugsy slowly led her to the shaft of light streaming in from the surface.

She wasn't sure how she managed to climb the ladder, or how she ended up back at Azalea Town's Pokémon Center. But somehow, she managed to sleep, and she awoke in a bed of pure white sheets, and saw the morning sun peeking in her window. A row of five pokéballs were lined up neatly on her nightstand, but the egg the Professor Elm had given her was nowhere to be seen. She curled up in her sheets, holding them tight against her as the memory of the previous afternoon pricked at the back of her eyes again. The tears dropped slower than before, staining the sheets as she hid her throbbing head from the glowing morning. "I want to go home…"

"I don't blame you."

Kris blinked, clearing the tears causing her vision to swim, and saw standing at the doorway to her room. His head was hung low, and Kris could see tear spots on his shirt as well. Someone else stood beside him, someone who looked only a little older than Kris herself. In their arms, they held a tiny white pokémon that had the same pattern as the egg Kris had carried on its body.

"He's yours." the other person said, holding it up so Kris could get a better look. "I don't know how his egg survived your encounter in the well, but he hatched soon after we brought you here."

Kris rubbed her head, trying to remember where she had heard this voice before. Someone from the well? The little pokémon trilled happily as he was set on the bed, but Kris pulled away from it slightly.

"Ah…Kris?"

Kris looked up at Kurt, who stepped forward with his head bent low. "I'm…real sorry about putting you in danger like that. I shouldn't've dragged you off down there like I did…"

Kris dropped her gaze and bit her lip. "I…I was just trying – "

"Trying to help?"

Kris looked back up. The other person had come and sat on her bed, and was smiling at her. They had a few bandages on their hands and face, but Kris couldn't place who exactly they were.

"It's okay if you don't remember my name." they said, pausing to play with the small pokémon they had put there. "You were in shock. I'm – "

"Bugsy…the gym leader. Right?"

"So you did understand." Bugsy said, smiling again. "Good, that's good."

"He is a boy." Kurt interjected, causing Bugsy to throw a sharp glare at him. Kurt winced and stammered "J-just so you know. He gets really mad about that."

"I don't understand why people think I'm a girl…" Bugsy muttered.

"Um…Bugsy?"

"Hm? Yes, Kris?"

"I…want to go home."

Bugsy sighed softly. "Kris…what happened in the well wasn't your fault."

"But Teddy – "

"Your Quilava was just trying to protect you." Bugsy explained gently. "It's in his nature to become…well, a little violent when threatened."

Kris blanched. "You mean…every time there's danger…he'll go crazy again?"

"Go crazy?" Kurt asked, and Bugsy shook his head.

"I don't think he necessarily went crazy, Kris…"

"No…you didn't see his eyes." Kris said, holding her knees up to her chest and squeezing them tightly. "He didn't recognize me. My sweet little Teddy…"

Something touched Kris' leg. It was the little pokémon that had hatched from her egg, and it was looking up at her sadly. It hugged her leg, and Kris felt a tiny flicker of happiness.

"Do you know what kind of pokémon this is?"

"N-no…"

"He's a Togepi." Bugsy explained. "They store happiness inside their shells and spread it to those around them when they are sad. He's still a baby, so he doesn't have much happiness stored up," he explained, patting the Togepi on the head gently, "but if he's treated with kindness, then I'm sure he'll grow up to be a fine pokémon." He stood up as Kurt left the room. "Kris…what you did back at the well was very dangerous, and very foolish. But it also shows me something very important about you."

Kris snorted and buried her head in her knees. "What? That I'm a stupid rookie?"

"That you have a kind heart, and a brave one too. Kris," he explained, "being a pokémon trainer isn't all fun and games. It can be dangerous. After all, pokémon are wild animals, and the recent surge in attacks on people only put that fact into perspective. But that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of them, or that they can't become our friends. When your Quilava – "

"Teddy."

"When Teddy didn't recognize you, your other pokémon stepped up and got between you and him, didn't they?"

"I…guess so…"

"They did. Even if Teddy wasn't in his usual state of mind, your other pokémon still wanted to protect you. Just like Teddy did."

Kris closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was right. Walter and Cotton and Florence and Ramón had tried to calm Teddy down when she hadn't been able to. And Teddy…he had gotten hurt because of her. The look on his face when Kris backed away from him had etched itself into her mind, and she hugged her legs tighter to her chest. "Teddy…I hurt him…"

"You can apologize to him yourself, if you want."

Kris' head shot up. Kurt had returned, carrying Teddy in his arms. His face and head were bandaged, but his eyes still gleamed when he saw Kris. Kurt set him on the bed as Bugsy took the Togepi and stood up again, and Teddy stared at her for a moment. Fear shone in his eyes, and he cautiously stepped towards her. "Kris? You're not…scared of me…are you?"

Fresh tears sprung from Kris' eyes as she lunged forward and pulled Teddy into a fierce hug. "Of course not…oh Teddy, I'm so sorry. You risked your life for me, and I…"

Teddy happily nuzzled into Kris' neck, and Kris could have sworn that she felt him crying too. "I was so afraid…you weren't gonna want me anymore."

"I promise, Teddy." Kris said, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "I won't ever be scared of you again." She smiled at him and he put a paw over her heart. "And you will always be my partner."


End file.
